I want to throw 91 and 92 and the corner. That would be great. I don't need to throw like 97-98 to get a ground ball or strike out somebody." â Jose Valverde

PHOENIX — At one point in his career, Kyle Farnsworth was a thrower. Blessed with a high-90s fastball, he relied on pure force — trying to blaze it past hitters. In 2004, he broke 100 miles per hour 30 times.

Yet, trying to throw it by batters became a fool's errand after a while. At some point in his career — he is not sure when — he learned he had to pitch.

Now, at 37 and in his 16th season, Farnsworth is still actualizing that lesson. No longer a flamethrower — ironically enough, one of the biggest worries about him in spring training was his velocity — he is making do in other ways.

"I try not to strike everybody out, try not to throw it by everybody," he said.

"That’s the part of growing up and learning that strikeouts are cool but quick innings and getting an out is better."

Farnsworth began to understand this many years ago. It may explain why his ERA was half a run higher over the first eight years of his career than the last eight.

This season, he has two walks in 5 2/3 innings and a 1.59 ERA. His fastball, which averaged 96.7 mph three years ago has fallen three miles per hour.

It has sunk in for Jose Valverde as well. As the Mets attempt to stabilize their bullpen after the loss of erstwhile closer Bobby Parnell, with Farnsworth in the eighth and Valverde as the closer, they are relying on aging pitchers with diminished velocity in roles where throwing hard seems to be a prerequisite.

To make up for it, they have made control their premium asset.

"The command is huge for both of those guys," Terry Collins said. "Kyle has located his slider about as good as I’ve ever seen it. They know that they gotta worry about that and he’s still got enough fastball to get in on guys or get it up over guys. So I think the command of their stuff has made them better."

Valverde's velocity has fallen off by more than two miles per hour on his fastball, according to BrooksBaseball. In 2009, he threw 96 miles per hour. In 2011, when he was a perfect 49-for-49 in save opportunities, he averaged 94.6 mph.

This season, he is at 93.4. When the Mets signed him this winter to a minor league deal, they had hoped that after a low-usage season in which he threw 33 1/3 innings would allow him to restore some arm strength. Though he is throwing as hard as he did in 2013, Valverde has been able to sit at 93-94 miles per hour this last week.

Though vanishing velocity naturally comes with age, Valverde said he has also made a conscious decision to pitch differently. Instead of trying to throw as hard as he can, as he once did, he is prioritizing command.

"If you want to play longer like Mariano, Trevor Hoffman, you have to change your way quick because the moment you pass 30, 31 you have to remember your arm is not the same as when you’re 21. If you came up throwing 97-98, when you’re 35 you can’t do it. Then I think this is what happened and I have a different mentality."

He makes the comparison to former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who, later in his career, could hit the corners and pitch effectively despite throwing in the low 90s.

Valverde says it is part of a philosophical change. Now, he tries to get first pitch strikes, hit the corners and set up for his split-finger. His strike rate has never been higher.

This season he has thrown 70 percent of his pitches for strikes, up from 65.3 percent last year and 61.9 in 2011.

His last two seasons, he feels, were doomed by walk troubles. This year, he is allowing 2.8 walks per nine innings — below his career average of 3..

"I have my velocity but the thing is it’s when you throw a lot and I have my velocity but the thing is I don’t want to blow my arm out," he said. "I want to throw 91 and 92 and the corner that would be great. I don’t need to throw like 97-98 to get a ground ball or striking out somebody."